The invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having a pull tab.
Numerous cabled electrical connectors exist that include a latch for locking the electrical connector to another electrical connector that is connected thereto. Some known latches include a hook portion that interconnects with locking features on the other electrical connector. When the electrical connectors are connected, the hook portions engage the locking features to lock the electrical connectors together. To unlock the electrical connectors, the latch may be manually operated to disengage the hook portions from the locking features. One or both of the electrical connectors can then be longitudinally moved to disconnect them from one another. To manually operate the latch, some electrical connectors include an actuating mechanism that extends from the cabled electrical connector and is pulled in a direction generally opposite the other electrical connector to disengage the hook portions. Such actuating mechanisms are sometimes referred to as pull tabs.
However, a location and/or size of the locking features that are engaged by the hook portions are sometimes standardized, whether industry-wide or between particular entities. As such, a design of the pull tabs and/or the hook portions are limited to particular configurations that conform to the standard location and/or size of the locking features. The interaction between the pull tab and the latch of some cabled electrical connectors has become overly complex. Consequently, some cabled electrical connectors are more difficult to manufacture, which adds expense, increases the potential for manufacturing error, and/or increases a time needed for manufacture thereof. Moreover, the complexity may decrease durability and/or a reliability of the pull tab. Consequently, the latch may become difficult to unlock and it may be difficult to disconnect the electrical connectors from one another. Alternatively, the latch may not properly engage the locking features of the other electrical connector such that the electrical connectors may accidentally or inadvertently disconnect from one another.
A need remains for a latch actuating mechanism for disengaging a latch of a cabled electrical connector using a pull tab that is reliable, durable, less complex, and/or that conforms to standard sizes and/or locations of locking features.